


You're the only way I'll have it

by hokage35



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Changing POV, Fluff, M/M, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 04:23:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17134886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hokage35/pseuds/hokage35
Summary: There was a magical alert in the 2069 at the one hundred year anniversary of Woodstock, and with very little detail to go on, Sara had decided on some recon first. She opted to send in Ray and Nate. Once their situation was assessed and they hopefully knew what type of magical being they were dealing with, then the cavalry would be sent in.





	You're the only way I'll have it

**Author's Note:**

> So I was thinking what other magical creatures could the crew be faced with and came up with this.
> 
> Title taken from The Band CAMINO song Less Than I Do

“Gary is going to be jealous,” Ava huffed.

“Yeah well Ray was Nate’s BFF long before Gary so I think it’ll be fine,” Sara countered. “Besides you saw how they both lit up when I suggested they go on this mission together.”

“Like two puppies,” Ava remembered their glowing faces. 

There was a magical alert in the 2069 at the one hundred year anniversary of Woodstock, and with very little detail to go on, Sara had decided on some recon first. She opted to send in Ray and Nate. Once their situation was assessed and they hopefully knew what type of magical being they were dealing with, then the cavalry would be sent in. 

Nate and Ray slotted right back into team work like it hadn’t been months since they did this. Outfits picked they landed and took off towards a festival which Gideon had pinpointed as a potential target area. 

The two men were an hour into their recon, whilst Ava and Sara were at the comms waiting to provide any support required. 

“I think I just got invited to an orgy,” Ray’s voice came over the speaker system of the Waverider. The festival was all about the reliving the era of free love.

“Keep up Ray, I’ve already got three invites,” Nate added right after.

“Boys this isn’t a competition,” Sara was annoyed. “Get back to the mission on hand.”

Several minutes went by and there was little going on from what Sara and Ava could tell. 

“I think I just found our magical creature,” Nate announced. “Ray meet me by the rose garden.”

Sara began to pace. “Guys what’s going on? What type of creature are we dealing with?”

“Shut the front door!” Nate yelled over their comms. “Ray!”

“A toddler with wings,” Ray’s voice followed. “Wait is that what I think it is? Ow it shot something at me!”

“What was that?” Nate sounded confused. “Hold on Ray I’m coming…shit it hit me too.”

“Guys,” Sara spoke up. “What’s going on?”

Then silence. 

Several minutes went by without a sound. 

“I don’t like this,” Ava broke the deafening quiet.

“Gideon track Ray and Nate. Ava and I will go in and rescue them if need be,” Sara turned, about to go gear up.

“No need Captain Lance,” the AI replied. “My sensors indicate that both Doctors Heywood and Palmer are on their way back to the ship. Shall I call for the others to join you?”

“Good idea,” Sara nodded. They would likely need all hands-on deck.

Zari, Mick, Charlie and John all came onto the bridge. “Right well what sort of nasty son-of-a-bitch are we dealing with?” Constantine spoke up.

“Not sure, Ray and Nate should be here any second,” and just as Sara finished speaking, the two said men walked onto the bridge.

Immediately, the rest of the team picked up on how different they were.

The two men were walking way to close together, whispering and giggling to each other. 

“Why are they holding hands?” Zari cocked a brow. 

“Ray, Nate, what the hell happened out there?” Ava took a step forward, clearly wanting answers.

“What happened Sharpie, is that I got to spend some quality time with my favorite guy,” Nate smiled.

“Nawww,” Ray gushed. “I’d say let’s hold hands but we already are.”

“You’re adorable,” Nate rested his forehead against Ray’s shoulder.

“No you are,” Ray used his hand to lift Nate’s chin and soon the pair were kissing.

The rest of the crew looked stunned. 

“I’m not drunk enough to watch this,” Mick turned and left. 

“What the,” Zari stared wide eyed. “I mean I knew they were pinning for each other but I never thought they’d act on it. And I certainly thought it’d never be so sickeningly sweet.”

“John what’s going on?” Sara asked their resident warlock. Surely some sort of magic had affected the pair. 

“What’s going on is that I think we’re about to be treated to a free show,” Constantine sported a wicked grin.

Nate had moved his hand up the front of Ray’s shirt, whilst Ray was moving a hand very fast down Nate’s back before he squeezed his ass.

“Okay,” Sarah yelled, cutting everyone off. “Ray, Nate, I’m going to need you two standing a few feet away from each other and focused for a minute here.”

Ray went pink as they pulled apart. “Sorry Captain.”

“Yeah, guess we got carried away,” Nate had a sheepish grin.

Sara turned her attention to the warlock. “John if you’d please.”

Constantine walked over to the boys and examined them, feeling Ray’s forehead and checking Nate’s pupils. “These muppets are in love,” he concluded. 

“Right,” Charlie frowned. “But how do you go from emotionally constipated to gross couple with no concept of PDA in one hour?”

“They were attacked,” Sara added. 

“Exactly,” Ava agreed. “Some sort of toddler with wings,” Ava recalled the rough description. 

Constantine paused for a moment before he smiled. Instead of doing something mystical, he opted to go pour himself a drink.

Sara stood, hands on hips. “Aren’t you going to do anything?”

“No need, those two idiots will be just fine pet,” Constantine sat on the couch and relaxed.

Ava stood closer to her girlfriend, still not entirely comfortable with John and Sara’s past. “Explain.”

“Righto,” Constantine downed his glass and poured another. “Toddler with wings, pretty clear what kind of creature we’re dealing with isn’t it?”

“Oh my god,” Charlie had obviously caught on. “Why didn’t I pick up on that.” She laughed before joining Constantine for a drink. 

“Well somebody feel free to clue the rest of us in,” Sara glared.

“It’s a cupid,” Charlie said between swigs of whiskey. 

“A cupid?” Zari looked shocked.

“So the cupid is forcing them to be in love? Like a spell or something?” Ava added.

“Hey now, cupids are near harmless,” Charlie defended the being. “Besides they can’t force love, but I think it’s better if you explain,” she turned to Constantine. 

“Those little winged buggers don’t actually make people fall in love, common misconception, good for selling cards and flowers. Their power lies in the ability to embellish one’s feelings.”

“Right,” Charlie spoke up again. “My guess is one of them hit dumb and dumber here with it’s arrows causing them to go all gooey eyed over each other.”

“So what you’re saying is that Ray and Nate already had feelings for each other,” Zari was catching on. “Which to be honest we all knew. But this Cupid made their feelings stronger and now they’re this,” she pointed to the two men who were in fact smirking like idiots as they stared at each other. 

“Exactly,” Constantine answered. “Pretty harmless magic really, just makes idiots realize the feelings they’ve always had. Speeds up the whole ‘will they, won’t they’ process. Wears off in half a day or so.”

Things were all starting to make sense. 

“But what do we do with the cupid currently on the loose?” Ava got them back on topic. 

“Let me have a chat to the little guy and I’ll convince him to move along to somewhere a little less populated by people,” Charlie offered. 

“Okay good,” Sara liked the sound of that. “Charlie and I will talk to the cupid. Zari, you and John can watch Ray and Nate.”

“I say we just put them in a bedroom and let them bang it out of their systems,” Constantine replied. “Though I’m more than happy to watch if that’s the Captain’s orders.”

“Change of plan, Zari and Ava will watch Ray and Nate, while we all try and forget what John just said,” Sara rolled her eyes. 

The rest of the day was pretty straight forward. Most of the time Ray and Nate kept things pretty normal, some hand holding, pet names and a few kisses. There were only two occasions when they tried to slip away for some alone time. Then there was the unfortunate incident whereby Zari walked in on Ray ripping Nate’s shirt off of him. As time went on the kisses stopped and the pet names were used less frequently. 

Soon the two men were overtaken with a sudden desire for sleep. Constantine explained that it was the magic leaving their systems that drained them. In separate rooms the pair were left for the night to sleep off the cupid’s magic. 

********  
_Nate’s POV_

When morning struck Nate felt a headache coming on as he woke up. He quickly checked his surroundings, wondering why he was in what appeared to be Zari’s room.

Suddenly the memories of the previous day came back. The Woodstock centennial, followed by, oh god Nate’s brain short circuited. He’d kissed Ray, like dozens of times, he’d had his hands all over the other man’s amazing body. He vaguely remembered something about magic, of course that was to blame. 

He liked Ray, he liked him a lot. But Nate had never dreamed on acting on those feelings. Magic made him do it. 

As the haze of sleep wore off, he began to remember more and more details until his wished the ground would just swallow him whole. 

*********  
_Ray’s POV_

Ray had similar thoughts as he woke. Except he felt pretty good about what had happened, of course if anyone asked he’d deny it and blame the influence of the cupid as the only reason he kissed Nate. God, Ray could recall just how good the other man smelt up close. He shook the thoughts from his head. 

The two men met in the galley.

“Hey buddy,” Ray sported his best smile. “How are you feeling?”

“Ah…good,” Nate replied. Thankful that both Zari and Constantine were currently eating at the table a few feet away.

They sat on opposite ends of the table to have their breakfast. 

“Right well it looks like you two are back to normal,” Constantine stated. 

“Yeah have to say that being roofied by a magical creature was not my idea of how to spend a Tuesday,” Ray deadpanned.

“Amen,” Nate agreed. “Too bad it wasn’t like a real roofie and made us forget what happened,” he was then sure he saw what looked like hurt momentarily sweep across Ray’s face. 

Zari pushed the remaining half of her doughnut towards the historian for comfort. “Cheer up, it’s not like it didn’t make you two do anything you didn’t want to do already.”

The two men gave her bewildered looks.

“John said that cupids don’t make people fall in love, they simply intensify existing feelings in people,” she continued.

“True Z,” John hummed. “About time someone made you two pull your heads out of your arses long enough to get your act together.”

Ray just looked dumbfounded.

“I don’t have feelings for Ray,” Nate mumbled, barely sounding half believable. “What am I even doing here? I should go.” Without room for argument he got up and left, not just the galley but the ship, portaling back to the Bureau. 

“Sorry mate,” Constantine looked sincere before he too left the galley. 

Ray pushed the food around on his plate, suddenly not hungry. He’d just found out that his feelings for Nate were not one sided but the other man decided to run out on him anyways.

“Hey,” Zari broke the silence. “He’ll come around Ray,” she tried to sound reassuring.

“I don’t think so,” Ray kept his eyes focused on his plate.

“Come on, I mean you were both kind of out of it yesterday but any one could see just how suited you were for each other. And the way Nate looked at you, no one could fake that.”

Ray meet her gaze, “Thanks Z.”

“Anytime,” she smiled. “I mean I understand why Nate might be feeling embarrassed, your feelings for each other were something you should have had the chance to discover on your own and definitely in private, no under the influence of a cupid in front of the rest of the crew.”

Ray let out a small chuckle. 

“Maybe it’s not too late,” she added. This caught Ray’s attention. “What if you talk to him one-on-one without the rest of us hanging around to make it awkward. Make some big gesture that this wasn’t just the influence of magic but that you want to be together as much as Nate does.”

That didn’t sound like a half bad idea, Ray agreed. But maybe he’d give the other man a day or so too calm down first. 

********  
_Nate’s POV_

“Welcome back,” Ava joined Nate in his office. 

“Thanks,” Nate looked up from his paperwork. He was busy reading through some reports, it was boring but at least kept his mind occupied. 

“You speak to Ray?” Ava wasn’t one to dance around subjects. She had a direct approach. 

Nate sighed, putting down his pen. “No.” 

“Why not?” she sat on the chair opposite his desk. 

“It’s complicated,” Nate added. Annoyed but not wanting to tick off his boss.

Ava frowned. “No, it’s not.”

That definitely wasn’t the answer Nate had expected. He opened his mouth but she raised a hand and cut him off. 

“I’m not finished. It’s not complicated. Hell it’s been clear to the rest of us that the two of you liked each other for a while now.”

A look of shock now covered Nate’s face. 

“And the cupid’s magic simply proved that you both feel the same way for one another so no Nate it’s not complicated,” she stood up, her sympathy replaced by a bitchface, readying herself to leave. “In fact if you want my advice, I say you march over to the Waverider, find Ray and tell him how you feel.”

She stormed out leaving a gobsmacked Nate in her wake. 

An hour later, trapped with paperwork and his thoughts, Nate finally snapped. Ava was right. He grabbed his phone and sent a simple one word text: _dinner?_

He knew his best friend would understand the finer details. 

********  
_Ray’s POV_

Ray’s face lite up when he read the text. “Nate wants to have dinner.”

“See I told you he would come around,” Zari smiled, only partly gloating that she was correct.

“I can’t believe it,” the smile on Ray’s face soon started to fade as his brain kicked into overdrive. “We can’t eat here,” he was referring to the galley. 

Zari agreed. Charlie and Constantine would be insufferable if they found out. “Why don’t you go out?”

“In public?” Ray looked shocked. “But what if it doesn’t go well? And with all those eyes on us.” He was already thinking of possible negative outcomes. “What if…no…maybe…no…ugh,” he stuttered before hitting his head against the lab bench. 

“Did you break our geek?” Charlie gazed from Zari to Ray’s only somewhat miserable form.

“Not me,” Zari held up her hands in defense. “Nate wants to have dinner.”

“Cheer up mate,” Charlie patted Ray’s back. “I have the cure for this kind of situation.”

This peaked Ray’s interest as he looked up. 

“Take a swig of this,” she held out a bottle.

What the hell thought Ray as he took the scotch offered to him. One mouthful and Ray was coughing. “Smooth,” he joked. 

“Now,” Charlie sat on a stool opposite Ray. “Why don’t you start from the beginning and I’m sure the three of us can work something out to get you and your boy knocking boots.”

******** 

“Ray?” Nate hadn’t heard from the other man after he’d sent his text so he figured he’d come and confront Ray face-to-face, a plan he only put into motion after his five missed calls to Ray’s phone. If his best friend needed some space that’s fine, Nate could respect that but he thought he’d at least deserved to be told so. 

The lab had been Nate’s landing spot but when he entered through a portal he found it empty. 

The library was next. Unfortunately, Nate encountered Constantine, a naked Constantine. “Is this a regular occurrence for you?”

“Nate, what brings you by mate?” Constantine paused and put on his robe. 

“I’m looking for Ray, he’s not in the lab,” Nate got to the point, not wanting to hang around in case the robe were to come off again.

Constantine gave him a blank look, “Haven’t seen him.”

Knowing he wouldn’t get much more help than that, Nate took off again. In the galley he met Sara, Charlie and Zari playing cards. “Ladies.”

“Nate,” Sara greeted him. “Deal you in?”

“Maybe next time,” he declined. “Hey have any of you seen Ray?”

“Nope,” all three replied almost in perfect sync. 

It was odd but Nate didn’t linger. Next up was Ray’s room. Nate knocked half dozen times but there was no answer so either Ray wasn’t there or he didn’t want to be disturbed. Mick was Nate’s last hope but he wasn’t in the galley eating which meant he was probably in his room writing and Nate knew not to interrupt him in there.

Nate felt like something was off but in the end he gave up. Maybe Ray just wasn’t ready to see him or talk to him. Maybe the others were sticking up for their friend. After all they were the crew mates and Nate was now the outsider. 

He briefly contemplated asking Gideon to track Ray but figured he was just being stupid now. If Ray needed some alone time then Nate should honor that and leave him be. Dejected he opened a portal to his apartment, figuring some TV and beer would just have to do instead. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try again tomorrow. 

Entering his place Nate immediately knew something was different. He could hear music. Investigating he walked down the hallway, past his living room and into the dinning room to a sight that stopped him in his tracks. 

The table was set: candles, flowers, wine. Everything looked so neat and perfect. 

“Welcome home,” a voice stated, and Nate almost got whiplash from turning so fast.

“Ray,” he was actually relieved to see the other man. Ray was standing a few feet away, his hair freshly combed, and what looked like a new black t-shirt and pair of jeans both of which just made his body look that much hotter. Nate had been looking for him all afternoon, he couldn’t help it, he surged forward and pulled Ray into a hug. 

“Hey,” Ray’s voice was soothing. He could feel the emotions radiate off the other man. “I’m right here,” he held on tighter. 

Nate eventually pulled away, wiping his eyes where the tears threatened to flow. “I’m sorry for just taking off yesterday.”

“No,” Ray pulled him back into his arms. “It’s okay. We went through a lot yesterday so I understand. You needed time to adjust and make sense of what happened.”

“Yeah but I feel like I owe you an explanation,” Nate began. Ray opened his mouth to counter but Nate held his finger to Ray’s lips. “I know you’re going to say ‘Nate you don’t owe me anything,’ and it’ll be charming and sweet and that’s one of the things I adore about you.”

That’s exactly what Ray would have said so instead he took his cue and listened.

“See there was Amaya, and when she left I didn’t want to get hurt like that again. But you were so supportive and so good to me that I thought maybe, but then Nora came a long and I thought you and her were going to get together so I took a step back.”

“There’s nothing between Nora and me,” Ray assured him.

“I know that now. I began to realize working for the Bureau that I missed everyone on the Waverider but especially you Ray. I had this whole plan worked out that I was going to try and woo you. So when the chance came up for us to go on a recon mission together I wasn’t going to turn that down.”

“Then the cupid attacked,” Ray chimed in.

“Then the cupid attacked,” Nate nodded. “I went from ‘how do I ask this guy out,’ to playing tonsil hockey in an instant.” 

“My answer would have been yes,” Ray answered. “Had you asked me out.”

“Ray Palmer will you go on a date with me?” Nate asked straight away.

“Next time,” came the reply. “Because I don’t know if you’ve noticed but this is basically me asking you to dinner.”

Nate snorted. “Touché.” He slipped off his Bureau jacket and rolled his sleeves up. “Anything I can do to help?”

“Pour the wine,” came the reply from Ray who had headed into the kitchen. 

Corkscrew in hand, Nate went about the task of pouring two glasses of red. 

“Dinner is served,” Ray re-entered the dining room, placing a covered serving tray on the table. 

“Wow,” Nate seemed impressed. Truth be told he wasn’t a fan of fancy dinners. His parents would always drag him to these high-class restaurants growing up and Nate despised them. “I hope you didn’t go too extravagant.”

“Relax,” Ray chuckled. “I know you don’t like that kind of thing so I cooked steak.” He removed the lid of the tray to reveal a couple of large cooked steaks and an assortment of vegetables. 

“You’re too good to me Ray Palmer,” Nate just wanted to rush forward and hug the other man again.

Without words, Ray pulled back Nate’s chair and ushered him in. He then served the food.

“So,” Ray took the seat opposite Nate. “How was your day?”

Nate cocked a brow but played along. “Pretty good. My boss, she basically told me I was an idiot and that I should pull my head out of my own ass and go tell this guy how I feel about him.”

“She sounds very wise,” Ray smirked. “Tell me about this guy.”

Nate’s face went pink. “Well he’s a scientist.”

“A scientist,” Ray cut in. “I like him already.”

They shared a laugh. “He’s a bit dorky though,” Nate smirked.

Ray pouted. 

“But he asked me out and I couldn’t be happier,” Nate continued. 

“You mean it?”

“Of course,” Nate nodded. “So I’d like to propose a toast, to us and the start of something really great. Besides I think if the cupid didn’t get us together, Zari and Sara probably would have instead.”

Ray laughed in agreement and raised his glass as well. “To us.”


End file.
